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Council Delays Action on Holiday Bowl Status

LOS ANGELES — The City Council on Tuesday delayed a vote on declaring a Crenshaw district bowling alley a cultural monument.

Such status would prevent the property's owner, Marshall Siskin, from demolishing the now-closed Holiday Bowl for at least a year.

Siskin, with the support of the councilman for the area, Nate Holden, wants to see the bowling alley at Crenshaw Boulevard and Coliseum Avenue demolished to make room for chain retail stores and restaurants.

But preservationists say there is no bowling alley quite like the Holiday Bowl. Its closing this summer prompted coverage by the national news media, which celebrated the alley--long a gathering spot for Japanese Americans and African Americans--as a model of racial harmony in an area scarred by the 1992 riots. Some also say the structure is a prime example of "Googie" architecture, a 1950s pop style.

The council referred the matter to its Planning and Land Use Management Committee for further study. A report is expected in 60 days.